My Shining Sun
by BlackLaceBeauty
Summary: Esme's gone and Carlisle's left with the kids. They move away from Forks and start a seemingly normal life. Until things spiral out of control. Rated M for later chapters. Story better than summary!
1. Not Meant To Be

**A/N: Before making any accusations I DON'T HATE ESME! It's just that this plotline cannot work with her. Sorry! I hope you enjoy it anyway! Read and Review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight**

My Shining Sun

BlackLaceBeauty

Chapter 1: Never Meant To Be.

Alice Cullen sat on a couch in the living room in her home in Forks, Washington. She sat next to her mate, Jasper Hale. In this home she lived with her adopted family, a coven of vampires. She lived, along with her mate, with Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, and Edward. They lived a happy existence, hunting only animals so that they could interact normally with the human world. Alice, of course, was a vampire as well, and possessed a very unique talent. She could see the future of her loved ones. Today she sat curled up next to Jasper sketching some fashion designs into a notebook when her golden eyes went wide and she gasped.

"Alice! What's wrong; what do you see?" Jasper frantically asked. They were the only two in the house, so no one else came to their aid.

"No, this can't be. He'll be heartbroken! How could she? At least she seems happy…" Alice trailed off.

Alice snapped out of her vision and looked at Jasper with sorrowful eyes.

"Darling, what is the matter?" Jasper said with a slight southern accent.

"Esme, she's leaving Carlisle. It seems that they were not meant to be. She's going to find a new mate."

"How will Carlisle react?"

"I-I don't know. I couldn't see."

Before Jasper could proceed with his questioning, Edward walked into the house, back from a hunt. His mind reading abilities instantly showed him Alice's vision. He gasped in shock. He looked at his brother and sister in amazement.

"Why is this happening, Alice?" Edward asked. "Why is Esme going to leave us?"

"I don't know. I guess we'll have to wait for Carlisle to get home to find out." Alice said.

The three looked at a clock on the wall. Three forty five. Carlisle would be home within an hour. Esme probably before that. Indeed Esme did come home before Carlisle; she went straight up to the room she shared with him and started to pack her things into a backpack. Edward tried to abstain from reading her thoughts, but one thought rang through his head. She WAS going to leave. At four fifteen precisely Carlisle arrived home and came through the front door, cheerfully greeting his children. Edward knew from his thoughts that Carlisle had no clue as to what was about to happen.

Carlisle went to dash up the stairs to see his wife and wrap her in his arms when she appeared on the top flight of stairs, a solemn look in her eyes. Carlisle sensed that something wasn't right.

"Carlisle, we need to talk," Esme said. "Privately," She added.

They retreated into the master bedroom to speak alone. Of course, the others could hear every exchange of words. As they spoke Emmett and Rosalie entered the living room to join the others. They had to strain to hear the exchange between Carlisle and Esme; they spoke very quietly.

"Esme, my love, what bothers you?" Carlisle asked.

"It's us, Carlisle. It's just not working anymore and you know it."

"Esme, if we work hard enough we can get through this tough spot in our relationship. Please just give it a chance…" Carlisle begged.

"No Carlisle, I can't go on living this charade. We both have to face the fact that we're not the perfect mates for each other. We must move on and try to find our perfect other half."

"Esme… please… no…" Carlisle whispered.

"I hope that we can still remain friends and I don't ever plan to give up this lifestyle." Esme said as she handed Carlisle her wedding band. She left the room, leaving Carlisle behind, his eyes glistening with tears that he could never shed.

Esme descended the stairs with her bag in tow. She said a heartfelt goodbye to her children, telling them that they would have to visit her often. After shutting the front door behind her, leaving everyone in shock, Esme ran through the forest, never looking back.

After several moments of stunned silence the five siblings heard something light hit the floor and roll. The Cullen kids sprinted up the stairs at vampire speed to find that in shock, Carlisle had dropped Esme's wedding band. His eyes were full of pain and hurt and confusion. He fell to his knees, his eyes replaying the scene that had just occurred. His children surrounded him, gathering him in a mass hug. They didn't know what else to do. What seemed unimaginable, living without Esme as their mother figure, was now reality.

As for Carlisle, could his still heart ever heal from this wound? Would he ever find his true mate? At over three hundred and sixty years old, Carlisle now doubted it. He felt he was doomed to only having the companionship of his children and nothing more.


	2. As Time Marches On

**A/N: Hi Everyone! Here's chapter two! I've been on a roll with this fan fiction; I've been writing in it almost every day at school. So, um, you get to see Emmett's…unique… sense of humor. The term "engagement woman" comes from a Twilight fan comic called "Man Time" on deviant art by sunni-sideup. You should all go check out that series of comics. I laugh so hard every time I read them! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Please read, review, and enjoy!**

**~BlackLaceBeauty**

~/V\/V\/V\/V\/V\~

My Shining Sun

Chapter Two

As Time Marches On

Three months had passed since Esme had left Carlisle. The Cullens had fabricated divorce papers to explain to the people of Forks why Esme Cullen was absent and why Dr. Cullen was no longer wearing his wedding ring. The nurses and female staff at Forks General Hospital had secretly rejoiced when they heard the news. The extremely attractive doctor was now available. However, Carlisle showed absolutely no interest in them.

Since Esme's departure, Carlisle had changed. Before, he had been happy and content. Now he was quiet and withdrawn. Esme's wish to leave had left him crushed. They'd been together for decades. Carlisle knew, in retrospect, that his and Esme's relationship had been nothing but a charade in the end. It was just that he had never wanted to face that fact. He had companionship; his adopted children were always there for him. But Carlisle craved the companionship only his true mate could give. And that companionship evaded him like the sun evaded the moon.

Edward, Emmett, and Jasper had each tried to get Carlisle to go out and explore after some time, but these days Carlisle preferred to hole up in his home office alone. In his first two hundred years Carlisle had searched for a friend who shared his viewpoints, it was then he created Edward. After that it had been Esme. With her Carlisle had thought he had it all but he had been wrong. His daughters, Alice and Rosalie, had been constantly trying to reassure him that he would find his true mate someday. Carlisle didn't believe that, not anymore.

Perhaps, Carlisle thought, that since he damned the others to this life that he was damned to never find true love. He thought that karma had come after him with a vengeance. But all Carlisle had tried to do in his life was do good. Why was this happening to him? He did not feed on humans; he saved lives in the E.R. every day. These thoughts plagued his mind every spare moment he had since Esme had left.

Since Esme had left the coven, Emmett and Jasper took up an offer from an old acquaintance of Carlisle's. Carlisle's old friend, Solomon Jacobson, had given the boys a chance to explore other worlds. In their exploration, Emmett and Jasper had found another dimension of Earth where they did not sparkle in the sunlight. It was an amazing discovery, one that brought Carlisle out of his solitude by a fraction.

Carlisle had always been thrilled by the discovery of new information. So this discovery had really caught his eye. They found a nice area in the heartland of America where the landscape was natural and the weather varying by season. There had been two nice sized homes go up for sale in the area, and after much debate, Carlisle decided that a move was what he and his family needed. He bought both houses and they prepared to move. The only bump in the road was Carlisle's job. He liked working in Forks, but he would have to move on before long anyway, before anyone could realize that he was not aging at all. It didn't take very long for Carlisle to gain a good position at a hospital in a nearby town only forty five minutes from his new home.

Rosalie and Emmett were going to live in the house nearest to town, which really wasn't close to town at all. The house was, however, near the main road. Their house was lovely, classic somehow with an artistic touch. The house was two stories, a lovely brown with sandstone pillars in front, supporting the balcony above. The house boasted lovely windows and large spaces. It also had a large in-ground swimming pool and a garage big enough to house Emmett's Jeep and Rosalie's BMW. It was near perfect for the couple.

The other house was also large, but secluded in the woods a bit. It too was two stories tall. It was fashioned to resemble an old fashioned wood cabin and it was in the center of a beautiful forest. The yard around the house was landscaped well; no doubt cared for by someone who knew exactly what they were doing. There was a moderately sized porch leading up to the entrance of the house and there was also a huge porch along the back of the house, allowing an amazing view of the surrounding area. The house had an attached garage, only big enough for Carlisle's Mercedes and another vehicle. In the house there were many rooms more than necessary, really. One was given to Alice and Jasper, one was Carlisle's new office, and another room was for Edward when he came to visit. He was staying at their old home in Forks, because he could not bear to leave his human love, Bella.

The Cullens got settled in their new homes and the "kids" were enrolled in the local high school. On the first day of Carlisle's new job and Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Rosalie's first day of school, they all gathered in the kitchen of Carlisle's new house where they had an interesting conversation.

"Yo pops, I've been thinking lately," Emmett said to Carlisle as he sat atop the island counter.

"What have you been thinking about, Emmett?" Carlisle asked in return.

"Here we go," Rosalie muttered under her breath. Carlisle took this as a sign that she'd heard this idea before.

"I've been thinking that there needs to be an e-Harmony website - for vampires!" Emmett said gleefully as Jasper began to guffaw uncontrollably. "Then we could put you on there and find you a woman and get you to fall in love- 'cuz there'd be a 95% success rate-and you'd be happy and you and your engagement woman could skip in a meadow-wait, Edward already does that-and…" Emmett rattled on.

"Emmett!" Carlisle said to get his son back to Earth. "I appreciate the thought, but I am perfectly happy. I have you guys and that is enough. Now shoo, otherwise you'll be late for school."

The four Cullen kids went out the door to leave for school. When the door shut behind them, Carlisle sighed a sigh of relief. He loved Emmett as a father should, but boy, the ideas he could create! From the bottom steps of the front porch Emmett yelled, "This evening we'll start on your profile!" Then he got into the jeep to drive him and the others to school. Carlisle took his time getting ready for his first day on the job. The night before Carlisle had already laid out his attire for today.

Black slacks and dress shoes accompanied by a blue shirt and tie made up his work clothes for today. Carlisle had brought along his lab coat from Forks, the one with his name embroidered on in blue. His black leather bag, usually full with supplies and paperwork, was empty except for a few trivial things. After getting dressed, Carlisle looked at the clock which read seven forty five. He still had quite a bit of time before he had to be at the hospital. So, he brushed his teeth again. Then he brushed through his hair once more. Carlisle glanced in the mirror, assessing his reflection. Three hundred years of practice had perfected his control of his facial expressions. He would have no problem blending in to his surroundings.

As Carlisle left the house, with the keys to his Mercedes S55 AMG in hand, he decided today would be a pretty good day.


	3. Crossroads of Destiny

**A/N: Hey guys! Hope you are enjoying the story so far! So in this chapter is where I start going between 3****rd**** person POV and Carlisle's POV. I really hope it doesn't get too confusing for you. I don't think it will though. Please R&R!**

**I don't own Twilight, Duh.**

My Shining Sun

BlackLaceBeauty

Chapter Three

Crossroads of Destiny

Carlisle arrived at the hospital a full fifteen minutes early. They say that it is better to be early than late and that was certainly the case for Carlisle. This hospital was larger than the one in Forks. Of course Carlisle had worked at some of the world's largest hospitals, but it had been awhile. The hospital's E.R. was already becoming swamped. Carlisle was quickly greeted by the head of staff and told what he needed to do. Without hesitation Carlisle fulfilled his duties to the amazement of the senior doctors.

In this town, Carlisle was playing the role of a twenty three year old, fresh out of med school prodigy who seemed to have decades of experience. His grace and ease dealing with patients was astounding. The older doctors could not believe how good Carlisle was for a "rookie". Carlisle laughed inwardly at his superiors. It was fun to show off sometimes. In no time at all nearly all of the female staff, single or not, was swooning over the new doctor.

Doctor Carlisle Cullen was a gift from above to the town of Shetoqua and the surrounding area. He knew exactly what he was doing and he was reliable. Now nothing could keep Carlisle from his work, but even though the sun wouldn't keep inside, he would have to take days off occasionally to keep up his human persona. On his first day Carlisle was very happy with his new job. He was quickly earning the trust of all his co-workers.

The morning kept Carlisle busy both physically and mentally. It was nice for Carlisle to keep his mind off of certain things. Carlisle worked with the emergency patients all morning. Luckily, the ailments were not that bad, the worst being a broken arm from an ATV accident. Lunch came quickly and since Carlisle had no need to really eat food, he took most of his lunch hour to set things up in his new office. With ten minutes left of his break, Carlisle assessed his office. It now was a little homier. His medical license hung on the wall with a few diplomas and paintings. On his desk were pictures of him and his children. There were none with Esme in them. Not anymore. Carlisle decided it would be best for him to interact a little more with the human staff here at the hospital.

In the cafeteria Carlisle got himself a cup of coffee and sat down at a table with a few of the surgeons. The surgeons immediately included Carlisle in their conversation. The surgeons were so animated in their conversation that they did not notice that Carlisle never took more than three sips of his coffee. Carlisle soon became bored of the conversation which had switched to the surgeons' golfing statistics. Luckily for him, he was paged up to the third floor to help change a patient's cast.

The cast was a full leg cast that covered a leg which had once been shattered. Now that the leg was mostly healed, the cast could be made smaller. It took quite a while to accomplish that task but the patient, a young man, was so happy that it made it all worthwhile. After the cast was changed, the hospital's activity had slowed down considerably. So for the remainder of the lull Carlisle was assigned to patrol the fourth floor ICU wing; to help wherever he was needed. This small town hospital was relatively quiet and there wasn't that much to do. Carlisle filled the time by hanging around the nurses' station and learning their names. The nurses LOVED the attention from the indescribably handsome doctor. A couple of them seriously nearly fainted when Carlisle said hello. Carlisle started up an average conversation with the nurses.

~Carlisle POV~

"Hello," I said in a melodious voice. "I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen, the new doctor here."

"H-hello, Dr. Cullen," a brunette nurse stuttered. "I'm Mary, the head nurse on this floor. These are my girls Angie, Baylee, and Joyce." She motioned to each young nurse as she said their name. Each nurse said a shy hello.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you and I look forward to working with you all." I said smoothly, causing the ladies' heart rates to sky rocket.

"The pleasure is ours," Baylee said suavely.

'Hmm… A smooth talker,' I thought to myself. She would definitely be one to flirt. But I had no interest in her.

As the day went on and my shift neared its end, things picked up marginally. Meaning I gave my medical opinion to a few patients in different situations in order to help them onto the road to recovery. In one room, there was always the maximum number of visitors allowed. The people seemed interesting but I couldn't truly learn what the story was because I had not been asked to help with that situation. As my shift drew to a close things slowed down again. That was when the nurses converged on me, again.

"So, Dr. Cullen," Joyce began. "Where exactly did you come from?"

"My children and I just moved down from a very small town in Washington state."

"You have children?" Angie asked, surprised.

"Yes, two girls and three boys. One son stayed up north so he could be with his girlfriend." A number of soft 'awws' ensued.

"He stayed up north by himself?" Mary asked, clearly not getting how old Edward claimed to be.

"Yes, Edward is seventeen like Alice. Jasper, along with his twin Rosalie, is a senior with Emmett while Edward and Alice are juniors this year. My now ex-wife and I married at seventeen and soon after we learned that she couldn't have children, so we began to adopt." I explained quickly before continuing. "We adopted Edward when my brother and his wife died. It was either we take him, as we were his only family left, or let the little eleven year old be put into an orphanage. Then we adopted the twins, Jasper and Rosalie followed by Emmett and Alice who have no biological relation. I love them more than anything else." I finished, my deceitful tale ended by a bit of the truth.

"That's so sweet of you to do that!" Mary said. "Though it must be a handful with five teenagers!"

"Yes, it's challenging and crazy at times, but I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Five o'clock finally came so I excused myself to clock out. I gathered my things into my bag then realized I had left my cell phone at the nurses' station. With my bag in hand I took the elevator back to the fourth floor. Near the elevator area there was a window. I saw that it had become very rainy and almost dark out since it was early November. As I came to round the corner my supersonic hearing allowed me to hear the nurses' rejoice over my use of the term "ex-wife".

As I expected my phone was on the desk behind the counter. There, nurse Mary and the others had begun to attack a box of donuts. I tried to just grab my phone and leave, but of course the nurses wouldn't have that.

"Oh Dr. Cullen," Angie said. "We were just about to page you about your cell phone."

"We would have paged you a few minutes ago but Stelluna actually made it to the bakery today. She was very right in saying these were the best." Joyce continued.

"Yes, you should try one doctor!" Mary suggested.

"No thank you," I said nicely, but Baylee would not take no for an answer.

"Oh nonsense!" Baylee squealed. "It's good to indulge yourself once in a while."

"No, I'm fine," I insisted. "But thanks for the…"

I did not get a chance to finish my sentence. Baylee had shoved a donut in my mouth before I could react. The nurses had been right though; the donut was extremely good and I didn't even eat human food anymore.

"Mmm, that is a good donut," I conceded. "Who did you say brought them?"

"Stelluna brought them in a few minutes ago."

Stelluna? What an interesting name.

"Does Stelluna work here?" I asked.

"No, her grandpa's here and she comes in a lot. As you probably saw her grandpa's room is almost always full. Poor girl hardly ever gets in there to see her grandpa because of all the other family visiting. So she usually hangs out here if we're not busy or she goes and reads to the kids in pediatrics. That's how she got the nickname Stelluna. The book Stelluna was the first book she read to the kids and since her real name is Stella, the nickname stuck."

"That's nice of her to read to the kids," I mused.

"Yes and Stella enjoys reading to them. She adores children; that girl will make a wonderful mother one day." Mary said.

"That's great," I said. "Well, I best be off; I'm sure my kids are wondering where I'm at."

The nurses said goodbye as I walked away. It was nice to hear of someone so young be so active here. Then I silently laughed at myself. Alice would know exactly where I was and why. Never bet against my psychic daughter. I was proud of myself; today I had been happier than I had been in a long time. It proved the saying, "life is what you make of it", true. I had told myself today would be good and it had been.

Happy thoughts consumed my mind as I walked around the corner, not paying attention to my surrounding. Thus, I walked straight into a young woman, knocking both of us down. Her eyes were a startling shade of color not exactly blue and not exactly green. It was a breathtaking amalgam of the two. Never before had I seen a color like it; the shade was mesmerizing.

"I'm so sorry, miss!" I managed to blurt out.

"No, no, you're fine. _I'm_ sorry! I should have been watching where I was going." She said. "Good thing I gave the pastries to Angie already. That would have been a mess!"

So this was the famous Stelluna. She was pretty but young.

"Here, let me help you up." I helped the girl to her feet where she shyly said thank you while her cheeks flushed a delicate red. Then she scurried off after apologizing again.

I heard Joyce greet her as she approached the desk. Pretending to slowly check my cell phone of messages, I listened to the beginning of their conversation.

"Hey girl!" Joyce greeted Stelluna. "Did your surprise phone call bring you any good news?"

"It sure did!" Stelluna exclaimed quietly. "My big brother is getting to some home for Thanksgiving! Soon he'll be flying in all the way from Moscow!"

'Stelluna certainly seems excited about her brother coming home,' I thought to myself.

Wait. What was I doing! I just knocked this girl over, and now I was eavesdropping in on her private conversation. How rude of me! I quickly left the hospital and drove home, only to be greeted by my kids. And a very surprising guest. Little did I know what my guest had in store for me.


	4. Surprises Part One

**A/N: Here it is! Meet Stella, who is way cooler than Bella. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own Twilight. Just Stella and the Nurses.**

My Shining Sun

BlackLaceBeauty

Chapter Four

Surprises Part One

~Stella Harmony POV~

~Same day- 2 and ½ hours ago~

"Thank God for early dismissal days!" I muttered to myself as I sprinted down Main Street.

It was on days like today that I took my lack of a driver's license as a blessing. If I had tried to drive to the bakery today I would never make it before it closed. I would if they hadn't changed their closing time from five thirty to three thirty. Besides, the after school traffic in Rosewood was a pain in the rear.

I made it to the bakery just an hour before closing time. The nursed on the ICU level of Shetoqua Memorial Hospital had given me the cash to pick them up a dozen donuts if I could get there before it closed. Today after almost a week of trying, I made it. Now Mary and the girls would understand the greatness of these donuts.

Going up to the hospital every night was certainly not on my list of favorite things to do. It was a constant slap in the face reminder of a horrible part of my life that I had to deal with: my grandpa's struggle with cancer. In the recent months it had worsened. The often trips to the emergency room had now landed my grandpa in ICU. Because of that like every relative ever had come to town. So even though I'm at the hospital a lot, I don't get to see grandpa very much.

That's why if I can't see him I go hang with the nurses when they aren't busy or I go read to the little kids in pediatrics. The nurses are friendly and nice; they always are willing to talk with me. The kids gave me the moniker that they and the nurses call me. Because my name, Stella, is so close to the first book I read to the kids, I became known as Stelluna. I don't mind the nickname; I think that it's cute.

The drive from Rosewood to Shetoqua takes about forty five minutes, even longer if it's raining like it is today. The weather was standard for the start of November, but that didn't mean I couldn't hate it. Unless it's snowing, I want sunshine. Finally we got to the hospital. I got dropped off at the entrance so my box of donuts wouldn't be ruined.

I made my way up to the fourth floor where Angie quickly spotted me from the nurses' station. She was sitting down, so I was positive she hadn't seen what I was carrying.

"Hey Stell!" Angie greeted. "Come on back!"

"Hey Angie," I said as I walked around back. "Look what I've got!" I held up the box of donuts.

"Yay! You made it today! They look divine!"

"Just taste them, then you can say how divine they are," I said, prying open the box.

Angie grabbed a donut and took a bite. It only took her a few seconds to start moaning from the amazing taste.

"Oh my gosh! This is amazing!" she praised. "Just wait for the others to taste these angels!"

"Told you," I said with a slick grin.

I grabbed a donut for myself. As I savored the taste Joyce and Baylee returned. They both praised the donuts as Angie had done.

"Stelluna, you were absolutely right. These are the best donuts I've ever had." Joyce told me.

"These put Krispy Kremes to shame," Baylee added.

"They sure do!" I said as I finished the last bite of my own donut. Then, being a geek, I spotted a pretty little black iPhone. "Whose iPhone?" I asked.

"Oh that's Dr. Cullen's cell phone. We need to page him back. Stella, I'm telling you Dr. Cullen is our newest doctor and by far the most gorgeous." Baylee said. I could tell she had the hots for this new doctor.

Then speaking of phones, mine began to ring. I looked at the unusually long number then started to grin like an idiot.

"This is a surprise!" I said as I scurried away from the station to go to the cell phone area. I was a few steps away when I went to answer the call. I wasn't sure exactly who it was before I answered, because the number was not in my caller I.D. I figured that it was my dad or maybe my mom. But no, my caller caught me by surprise. A very good surprise.

"Hello?" I answered quietly, since I hadn't got completely into the cell phone area yet.

"Oh privet, sister!" [hello]

"Ivan!" I said excitedly. I had not expected my big brother to call. "It's so good to hear from you!"

"It is nice to hear from you too. How are you? I haven't spoken with you in so long!"

My brother's Russian accent was soothing. It reminded me of when we were kids; a much simpler time.

"I'm alright," I said. "How are you? Where are you now?" I wanted to hear all about my brother's adventures.

"I'm just fine. Right now I am at the airport here in Moscow. It has snowed so much today that my flight got delayed. How's the weather in Rosewood?"

"Cold and rainy, just like any November here. I'm ready for snow but I bet you're sick of it by now. Where are you flying to this time?"

"Typical Rosewood weather," my brother laughed to himself. "Actually, this is the first time I've seen snow in a while. We got stuck doing work on a nearly deserted island. You will have to go with me next time. You'd like the beach there. How is living with Aunt June and Uncle Gene?"

"Okay, we've been really busy lately, though. Tell me where you're going, Ivan! Is it the tropics again, or are you going to Asia this time? Africa? Please don't tell me this trip is classified too!"

"No, it's not classified this time," Ivan laughed at me. Actually, where I'm headed is rather calm and mundane compared to some of the places I've been lately. It is a nice place none the lees."

"So not Asia?" Now I was confused.

"Nope." Ivan was pleased that I hadn't figured out his destination.

"Come on, then tell me!"

In the background I heard an announcement over the P.A. system. 'Flight 93 now boarding.'

"I have to go sister, but when this flight lands I have two connections to make. Then I grab a dimension flight to end up at Shetoqua Regional Airport."

"Nuh-uh! Are you saying that…!"

"Yes, I'm coming home for Thanksgiving. I have to get on the plane. I'll see you when I get home!"

"Okay! I can't wait! See you then!"

Ivan hung up so he could get settled on the plane. Then everything sunk in. MY BIG BROTHER WAS COMING HOME!

It had been almost a year since I'd seen Ivan. Sure we talked on the phone, emailed each other, and sometimes video chatted, but now he was going to be here, in person! I couldn't wait to see him; we had much to catch up on. I was so excited that I couldn't stand still. I had to tell Aunt June and I knew once the nursed saw the huge grin on my face that they would want to know too. I was so excited that I didn't pay attention to where I was going. And that was when I walked right into some doctor. From his good looks I guessed that this was the guy Baylee was gushing over. The doctor and I made eye contact for what seemed like an eternity. His eyes were a strange shade of gold. They were pretty don't get me wrong, but that color couldn't be real. He must like wearing those cool costume contacts. I had no-correction violet contacts so I could match my big brother sometimes. But my contacts couldn't match the pretty shade of Ivan's eyes.

In out collision we had fallen to the floor. The guy stared into my eyes intently but with a look of intrigue on his face. What was this guy? Some kind of soul searcher? Finally he said,

"I'm so sorry, miss!"

"No, no, you're fine. I'm sorry! I should have been watching where I was going! Good thing I gave the pastries to Angie already. That would have been a mess!"

"Here, let me help you up," the doctor said as he helped me to my feet like a gentleman. He then handed me my cell phone which I had dropped in the collision.

"Thank you," I said as my cheeks flushed in embarrassment. I apologized once more before I scurried back behind to the nurses' station.

As I went back behind to the nurses' station Joyce asked me about my phone call.

"Did your surprise phone call bring you any good news?"

"It sure did! My big brother is coming home for Thanksgiving! Soon he'll be flying in all the way from Moscow!"

"That's great news, hon!" Joyce said. "But why is your brother in Russia?"

"Because he's Russian," I said. At the look of confusion on Joyce's face I quickly added, "He's adopted."

"Ah I see." Joyce said. "But then why is he in Russia now?" Is he from a different dimension like you are?"

"Yes, he is from a different realm like I am. Because he's still a part of the ruling class, he travels around with other nations, sort of like an ambassador."

"Oh neat!" Angie aid as she and Baylee returned.  
>"So you and your brother are both royalty?"<p>

"Pretty much," I said. "I should text Aunt June saying that Ivan's coming home." I texted my aunt and she replied "That's great!

"You should come down to the lounge for some coffee and tell us how your family came to include your brother once we get off shift." Mary said, joining in on our conversation.

"You sure? It's kinda a long story and it's kind of sad."

"We'll bring a big box of tissues," Baylee said.

"As soon as the new shift gets here we'll go down," Angie said.

The new batch of nurses came and so we grabbed out things (including the remainder of the doughnuts) and took the elevator to the staff lounge. Once we were a settled on a round sofa with coffee mugs in our hands, I began to tell my brother's story.

A/N: Random trivia: What anime did I get Stella's brother from? Tell me in the comments!


	5. Ivan's Story

**A/N: This chapter is rather short, but the next chapter is not. Ok, on with the story. If you cry easily, grab a box of tissues.**

**Thank you to everyone who has faved or added this story to their alert lists and commented. There have been so many of you how have done so and I'm extremely grateful. **

**A big shout out to BamYurrDead who got that Ivan is Russia from Hetalia! Thanks for the review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hetalia version of Ivan. I don't own Twilight either.**

My Shining Sun

BlackLaceBeauty

Chapter Five

Ivan's Story

~3rd Person POV~

It was winter 1998. The freezing weather was as unforgiving as the war between the countries. That world is much different than our own. The war between Russia and its enemies was fierce. But through it all, seven year old Ivan Braginski led a pretty privileged life.

Finally, the war ended with a truce. Enough blood had already been shed. The truce left many happy, and few vendettas remained. The alliance between the Braginskis, the ruling class of that Russia, and the royals of Avalon had grown even stronger. The two sets of royals already extremely close; they had been friends for a very long time. However, this alliance could not have prevented the inevitable…

At one point, controversy arose saying that Mr. Braginski had impregnated another woman when his young son was an infant. This had been true, but it hadn't mattered to Mrs. Braginski. She loved her husband anyway. They lived a happy life together with little Ivan.

As said before, the truce had left many happy. Many, not all. There was a band of renegade rebel soldiers who were very unpleased with the result of the war. They plotted against the Braginskis. Rumors of this plot spread like wildfire. Mr. Braginski put these rumors to a halt, saying that there was no way he and his family could be harmed be mere runaway rebel soldiers. Oh how wrong he had been.

On a cold, snowy night the renegade soldiers stormed the luxurious Braginski mansion. The snow did not hider the attacks, so the attackers crashed through every window on the first floor. The three heard the commotion. At the sound of the shattering glass Mrs. Braginski clutched her son to her breast. Mr. Braginski paged the guards as his wife, after a frantic glance, retreated with their son to the master bedroom. Mr. Braginski paged the guards again even though he knew they would never make it in time.

In the master bedroom Mrs. Braginski opened up a wicker laundry hamper and placed her son inside. She took linen sheets and wrapped her son in them to hide him better. She looked into the son's wide eyes then said."

"Stay silent and stay hidden my son." She took a shaky breath. "No matter what happens remember this. You father and I love you more than anything, our precious baby boy."

With that Mrs. Braginski put the lid on the basket and left the room without another word. In the living room she rejoined her husband who had brought out a handgun. The gun wouldn't do any good though.

The rebels broke through the living room door. They surrounded the couple and prepared to execute them. Mr. Braginski pleaded for his wife to be spared but to no avail. From the laundry basket Ivan heard loud voices but couldn't really make out the words. Then the deafening sound of gunfire filled the air. Ivan knew what had happened.

About an hour later the guards found him, tears staining his face. In the Braginski's will it had been requested that the royal McKees of Avalon, the Braginski's closest friends and allies, take Ivan in as their own. They did, of course and they were thus in charge of their friends' funeral arrangements. A few days later the funeral was held. Ivan stood apart from the crowd, staring at the mahogany casket. Yes, one casket. Ivan's parents were buried the same way that they had died; in each other's arms.

As the casket was lowered into the ground, a little girl walked up to Ivan. She knew him; they had played together before. They girl looked up into her friend's face. She could tell that he wished that he could give every bit of the massive estate left to him to get his parent's back. But he knew the reality was that it wasn't possible. She herself tried to imagine herself without her own parents and it was scary to do so. She took his hand and finally spoke.

"I sorry you hurt," she said to him. "But you are my big brother now and I promise to always be here for you."

"Thanks, Stella," Ivan said. "I promise to always be here for you, too."

~Stella's POV~

"And that's my brother's story," I said, taking a drink of my now almost cold coffee.

"Oh, my God!" Baylee said, wiping tears from her eyes. "That's so sad but so sweet too!"

"Yeah, it is," I agreed, still lost in the memory of that day of the funeral. Then, my phone buzzed with a text message. "Oh, it's time for me to go," I said.

The nurses followed me out as we went our separate ways for the night. I met my aunt at her car. Once on our way home, she had another surprise for me.

A/N: Ooh another surprise! What could it be? Will it be good or bad? Stay tuned ;) I hope I get some more comments! I'll post chapter 6 soon, because that is where things start to spiral out of control, plus you get to meet Stella's bestie.


	6. Suprises Part Two

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

My Shining Sun

BlackLaceBeauty

Chapter Six

Surprises Part Two

~Stella POV~

It was still raining as I left the hospital with my Aunt June. The rain was ice cold and with the strong wind the rain soaked my face and clothes, outside of my raincoat, through. By the time I crossed the parking lot I was so cold, that I feared that my teeth would shatter because they were chattering so hard. Thankfully, the heat in the car was already on full blast. Once we were on our way Aunt June turned the radio all the way down. I paused the song on my iPod, thinking that she might be in a phone call from my dad. But she wasn't on the phone. The only sound was the wind shield wipers swishing back and forth. I pulled the ear bud out of my left ear.

"Why'd you turn the radio off?" I asked after a long period of silence.

"I needed to think. While you were with the nurses we were offered a really big deal."

"What kind of a deal?" I asked.

"A doctor from a hospital your dad used to work at came here; a potential for a new client for his medicine." June said.

"And? What type of medicine is it?"

"They say it's a cure-all type medicine. But it comes at a hefty price."

"So it could kill the cancer?" That would be great! But what would the price be? I know it would be expensive since it is a cancer med; plus it's out of dimension too…" I trailed off.

"That's where the deal comes in, Stella. It involves you. But honestly, I don't really understand why they want that more than any counter offer we presented. Why they just won't accept money is beyond me. I guess it's a trust thing but I don't know. Any self respecting doctor would want the money I would think." Aunt June rambled on, attempting to change the subject. But I would have none of that.

"What do you mean this involves me? What do they want me to do? Sing a song? Give a pint of blood? Give one of my kidneys away?"

"No, nothing that drastic," Aunt June said. "They want us to put you into an arranged marriage with one of their guys. IF you two get married then the medicine is free and everything is paid for. However, the choice is up to you."

'Not drastic my butt!' I thought. I had some thinking to do.

/V\/V\/V\/V\

~Cullen Household~~Carlisle POV~

"Solomon Jacobson!" I exclaimed as I walked through the front door of my home.

"Carlisle! It's great to see you. How do you like it here?" Solomon greeted.

"I like it here a lot," I admitted. Then it hit me that the house was quiet. "Where are the others?"

"Your brood went hunting," Solomon informed me with a laugh.

We sat on the living room sofa for a friendly chat. Out conversations stayed pleasant. Solomon was a good enough friend to stay away from the painful topic. We each talked about our jobs in the medical field. While I worked with patients he created medicine. It had been this way since we met at a university in Europe. I was focusing on surgery techniques of the time while he was studying alchemy.

"The advances in medicine are simply amazing," I said, remembering those days.

"Indeed, Solomon agreed. Then his tone turned into the one he used with clients. "That, my friend, is why my visit is not purely social. I'm working with a client with cancer. I have the medicine he needs, but that is as far as I can go. I need help with other aspects of this deal. I'm hoping you'll help me cure my client."

"Of course, I'll do whatever I can to help," I agreed. "What do I need to do exactly?"

"Wonderful! Thank you, Carlisle; I knew I could count on you! I'm not exactly sure what you'll do yet, but I know you'll be working closely with the patient's family."

"Alright," I said. It would be interesting to see how this new medicine would work. "Is the patient currently hospitalized?"

"Yes, but I can't tell you where at the moment. I can tell you that my patient is a local. Well, I really must be going; I have a few other people to speak with. I'll come back soon to let you know all the details."

"It was nice to see you, Solomon. Just let me know what I have to do as soon as you can."

To this Solomon heartily agreed. He really wanted me in on this deal. I just hoped that this deal didn't involve marijuana again. Only minutes after Solomon left my children returned. All seemed very energetic, but none more so than Alice. She was about to bounce off the walls it seemed.

"Why is Alice so excited now?" I asked Jasper.

"There's probably going to be a huge shoe sale," Emmett chimed in from the sofa.

"No, Emmett. That's not it; but that would be nice!" Alice chirped. "But seriously, something BIG is going to happen!"

"What's going to happen?" I asked.  
>"Well…," Alice began slowly before her words sped up. "I don't know exactly; everything is fuzzy. However, it involves you Carlisle! Has anything happened that you're not telling us about?"<p>

"No, I've been at work today. The only thing unusual was that a nurse shoved a doughnut down my throat." I said, omitting the part about my collision with Stelluna. Too embarrassing.

"Getting kinky there aren't'cha, pops?" Emmett asked laughingly. An audible snap could be heard as Rosalie smacked the back of his head. That didn't keep him from going on. "Oh! We should add that to your profile! Now that'll get you some ladies. Rawr!" Emmett was enjoying this even more after I grimaced at the pictures his words produced.

"I'll be in my office," I said and retreated to my office upstairs. Emmett's laughter could still be heard clear as a bell even with the door closed.

I called to check on Edward. Nothing much had changed with him. He still spent almost every moment with Bella. She still was trying to convince him to change her, but he was still against the idea.

After hanging up I thought about today. I was still sort of mad at myself for eavesdropping in on that girl. It had been so rude of me! But she had been an interesting one. Also, Solomon's visit had been strange. That hadn't been the first time he'd come to me for help, but never before had he been so with-holding of information. It made me wonder if he was trying to get me to do something I wouldn't normally do. But as a doctor I knew the patient confidentiality code was very important, so I gave Solomon the benefit of the doubt and decided he was following that. But was Solomon up to something else? I wasn't sure.

/V\/V\/V\/V\

~Stella's POV~

From the moment June said those words, "arranged marriage", I knew there was something big about to go down. And whatever happens is on my shoulders. No pressure, really.

Just what was I to do? Apparently, if I didn't get married to this mystery guy then Grandpa wouldn't get the medicine he needed. I wanted my grandpa to be well again. But what if I didn't like this guy? What if he made my life hell? For crying out loud I'm only seventeen! The only girls I knew of who got married at my age where those who got knocked up on prom night or something. Wasn't there something else they would take for payment instead of me marrying one of them?

All night long I weighed the pros and cons of the predicament I found myself in. I barely slept a wink that night. Into the early hours of the dawn I paced my bedroom in attempt to wear myself down. That didn't work. I tried listening to every soothing classical piece on my iPod. When that failed I tried counting sheep. After three hundred and forty two sheep I quit that and turned on my lamp which sat next to the foot of my bed. My bed rested against two walls in a corner. I kept my bed like that because like this, my bed could double like a couch looking out into my front yard when the blinds were up. I tossed my fluffy pillow to the other end where it rested against the wall there. A giant stack of mail was piled up on my dresser, and I was going to read every piece of it.

The majority of letters were from colleges I had no real interest in at all. However, out of politeness, I read all twelve college letters. Only two came from the same state. The rest were from all across the map. The most interesting one was from an American college in Greece. I had to admit that would be a pretty epic school to go to. The next three letters were advertisements to subscribe to more magazines like the ones I already got.

Now my mail pile was growing smaller. Only two magazines and a catalog remained. I read Teen Vogue, my favorite, which was on top. Once I had finished I picked up the next magazine, but I never even tore the plastic wrap off. Something else had caught my eye. That something was a thin manila envelope marked 'IMPORTANT INFORMATION ENCLOSED' in black marker. No stamps or anything else marked the origins of the envelope. Someone had slipped it in with my mail. Tossing the rest of my mail aside, I opened the envelope and shook out its contents. A thin group of papers fell out, loosely held together by an oversized paperclip. I could tell reading this would be tedious because the header on the first page stated, "Terms of Agreement". Whoever wrote this had obviously learned nothing from iTunes or any other digital media. One of the biggest lies ever is "Yes, I have read the terms of agreement". I tried, once; it was so boring I thought my eyes were going to melt.

I skimmed the first page and yawned. I'd read into it more when I was finally ready to fall asleep. The second page was a continuation of the first. I skipped it without another glance. The third page was a list of strange things. I thought about the objects as a group. No, it couldn't be for what I thought it was, could it? These people, who have only brought up this idea toady, couldn't have planned this far ahead, right? As I flipped to the last paper I knew that they had. They final document was none other than an already approved marriage license. Wonderful; just freaking wonderful.

Sometime after I had my mini panic attack I passed out. Next thing I knew it was six a.m. and I was getting yelled at to get ready for school. Ugh, Tuesdays. They were worse than Mondays at my school because unlike Mondays, on Tuesdays we don't get dismissed early. Using every bit of willpower I had, I somehow pried myself form my warm bed.

To my amazement, I somehow ate a breakfast bar and made myself semi-presentable. Semi-presentable meaning old jeans, a grey hoodie, and an even older pair of Nikes. As I yanked the brush through my hair, my aunt came in my room. In her hand were an envelope and the keys to my truck.

"Your license came in, so drive to school today."

"Okay!" I said, catching the keys as my aunt tossed them to me. Ripping the envelope open my new international driver's license dropped into my hand. Happily I noted that the picture wasn't that bad.

I ran out to my old red truck and relished the thought that now I could go anywhere on Earth. I could drive on the Autobahn if I wanted to. But what good would that do me now? The decision that I would have to make soon loomed over my head like a thunderstorm.

I made it to school although during the drive my attitude slipped into the gutter. Thinking about my problems and a lack of sleep did not mix well. My best friend, Gabrielle, met me outside the school doors.

"Hey, why weren't you on the bus?"

"I drove; I'm parked at the library." I said shortly.

"Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Gabrielle asked.

"Nah, "wake up" implies that one actually slept. I don't think two hours of sleep really cuts it."

"Two hours? Why on Earth were you up until four a.m.?"

"There was way too much on my mind," I said as I glanced at my watch. Two minutes until the bell.

"Does this have to do with your grandpa?"

"Somewhat," I said; sighing in relief as the bell rang. Soon, hopefully, my mind would fall into the dull and blissful world that Government sent me to. I wanted that numbness to consume my mind. Of course with the way my luck was going, that didn't happen.

Stink bombs happened. That's right; some brainiac clogged all the downstairs toilets with sting bombs. If you thought that skunks smelled bad, think again. The smell was unbelievable nasty. But, on a brighter note, it got us dismissed early. Like, not even thirty minutes into first period early.

Happily I took my purse and backpack from my locker (which is unfortunately across from the girl's bathroom) and made my way out the front doors. Gabrielle had already beaten me out.

"Hey Stell," Gabrielle said sweetly. "The buses aren't running for another hour…"

"And you want me to drive you home. Blah, blah, blah…" I finished for her.

"Please?"

"Fine. Get to walking then; I told you I was parked at the library."

"Yay! Thanks. So what's up? I know you're sleep deprived but something's eating at you; I can tell."

"A lot has happened in the last 24 hours," I said as Gabby and I walked up the sidewalk."

"Spill. Tell me everything that happened since the end of school yesterday."

"I ran to the bakery right after the bell rang. I got a dozen doughnuts for the nurses then went up to the hospital with Aunt June. Then Ivan called me; he's coming in tonight."

"That's great! Ivan hasn't been home in ages!"

"I know! I'm so excited! I'm gonna tackle him as soon as I see him at the airport."

"Yeah I'm sure you will," Gabby laughed as she got into my truck.

I remained quiet as I started the truck. We got down onto Main Street and I approached the train tracks. I wanted to get out before the train came. Did I? Of course not; and of course it was a slow train which meant it was a long train.

"FML," I said as I put my truck into park. I turned the radio on and settled in for the wait. I let my eyes droop only to open the second I realized that Gabby was quiet, too quiet.

"What are you doing?" I asked her. I looked over and saw her reading some random papers. Well, I thought they were random until I saw the important information envelope open in her lap. That's when my face paled.

"What does all this mean?" She asked, flipping through the pages.

"I don't know yet," I lied as I tried to regain my composure. "I haven't really tried to read through it; I've been busy."

"It seems like a contract agreement almost."

"Hmm… I don't know." I thanked my lucky stars that I had left that one agreement paper at home.

"What's going on?" Gabby asked. "You know you can tell me anything."

"I know I can but it's just that I'm not really sure what's going on. All I know is that everything is going to change. Soon."

"Change how?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not even sure yet!"

"You do know what's going to happen; tell me!" Gabby begged.

"No."

"Come on!"

"No!" I repeated.

That continued on until we had almost reached her house. For a while we changed subjects. We talked about the new kids and how they were like together together. I dropped Gabby off at her house, but of course, one last time she begged,

"Tell me what's going on!"

"I'll let you know when I know!" I promised before driving away.

When I got home I literally crawled into bed and passed out. I woke back up around noon, because the hungry pack of wolves that is my stomach needed to be fed. I found a note on the fridge telling me to pick up Ivan at the airport at 6:45. Until then I had nothing to do, so I sat down and read the two pages of terms of agreement.

In short, it said that: I, Stella Harmony McKee, would hereby agree to marry the person of the other party's choosing. By doing so, my grandfather, referred to here as the client, would receive all the care and medicine that he needs at no charge. The ceremony would be simple and discrete. I would not meet my groom until after the ceremony. I would know nothing of him and he would know nothing of me prior to the event. After everything is said and done, the other party would leave me, my new husband, and my family to go on with our lives. Also there was one, teeny little detail that I wished that I hadn't seen. The detail that: within seven days of payment from the other party, I would have to consummate the relationship. Gah!

The third page was just a list of items for the ceremony, which all except one, the bride, would be provided by the other party. I stacked the papers in order, leaving only one out. I weighted the pros and cons again.

Did I want to do this? No, not really. I didn't want to get married at 17.

Cons: Married at 17; What if the guy was some old perv?, And what if he was a jerk and I hated him? I would be stuck with him for who knows how long.

Pros: I wouldn't have that fear of being single forever anymore, Grandpa would be cured, and…. That's all I can think of.

Did I really have a choice in the matter? I sighed at the answer I knew was obvious.

A quick look at my clock told me that if I didn't hurry, I would be late. How had that much time passed so quickly? I quickly got in my truck and drove back to Shetoqua. My brother was easy to spot because of his height. Like I had told Gabrielle I would, I tackled my brother and hugged him fiercely. He hugged back, picking me off the ground. When our hug was over we said our hellos and it's great to see you(s).

We went to get Ivan's luggage and as I grabbed his duffle bag he looked at me, a worried look on his face.

"Sister? What's the matter? You are not acting like your normal self."

I sighed. I knew I had to tell him eventually but that didn't make things any easier. "Ivan, so much has happened in the last two days. It's so crazy it seems unreal, but it's real…"

"What all has happened since I called you?"

We had reached my truck and after we put his stuff in the back, I crawled into the cab where I started to cry. Ivan held me and after a while I managed to say,

"I have some really big news to tell you."

Ivan saw the paperwork on my dashboard and looked back at me, shock and concern filling his eyes. I started to cry again as time began to fly by, sending me into the craziest two days of my life.


	7. For Whom the Bells Toll

**A/N: Hey everyone! This chapter is where everything goes crazy. I'm sorry that it goes back and forth between points of view so many times. I think it's for the best though. It just seems right to me; it just makes sense. Next chapters will even out though, promise. **

My Shining Sun

BlackLaceBeauty

Chapter Seven

For Whom the Bells Toll

~Stella~

Well, here I was, sitting in a room in the basement of the oldest, and smallest, church in town. About to be married to a guy whom I did not know in the least.

Yesterday I spent the day with Ivan who tried to keep my mind off of today. School had been cancelled yesterday due to the fact that over half of the toilets didn't work thanks to the mysterious stink bomber. Ivan tried to keep me in an upbeat mood, especially when I learned that my weeding would be on none other than the very next night. It was great to spend the day with my brother, but not as great as it should've been. Everything went in a blur today. School went well I guess. I don't remember anything except that Gabby kept asking what was wrong, but I couldn't bring myself to tell her.

Now I sat in a metal folding chair wearing my best black dress slacks and pumps. Over my skin toned strapless bra I wore a skin toned strapless camisole. It's amazing how fast things can change, isn't it? I wondered with a sigh what my groom would be like.

/V\/V\/V\/V\

~Carlisle~

Solomon showed up to my house again quite suddenly today. I had only been home from work no more than twenty minutes when he had knocked at my door.

"Carlisle, good, you're here. It's time; I need your help."

"With your client?"

"Yes, everything's together and I need you to sign this quickly. We need to get going."

I signed the paper without a second thought. I didn't even look at what it said. The way Solomon was acting made me think that maybe the patient had gone into a critical state. We took his car but we never ended up at a residence or hospital. We ended up at a little old white church. It was odd to say the least. Why would this patient be at a church? Was he or she too ill to move any further? Or did he just want to feel closer to God? I wasn't sure. I was fully ready to help with the situation, but Solomon led me into a small office. I was expecting to see other doctors gathered for briefing but no, the office was empty.

"Where is the rest of the staff?" I asked Solomon.

"Oh, they'll be here, don't worry." Solomon said sweetly. "Now, I need you to stay here until I come back for you. So, don't leave unless you want to ruin this for the patient and his family. I'll be back in about thirty minutes!" He left with a smile on his face; a smile I didn't like. What was Solomon up to?

I had been in the office perhaps five minutes when a knock came at the office door.

"Come in, I called, and entered a tall young man with beige hair.

"Hello," he said in a thick Russian accent. "I just wanted to give you, how you say, a warning."

When I said nothing he went on with his message, his tone of voice becoming rather menacing.

"If you so much as hurt or upset my baby sister to the tiniest degree, so help me I will get my water pipe from my car and smash it through you skull then bury your lifeless carcass in a snowdrift deep in Siberia. You understand da?"

The man had an aura about him that made me undoubtedly believe what he had just said. I could tell that this man, a human, could easily kill me if he wanted to somehow. That fact was more terrifying than the Volturi; that fear shattered my poker face.

"Yes, I-I understand," I finally managed to say.

"Great," he said with a genuinely warm smile. "I will leave you alone now. Treat her good."

The man left, closing the door behind him. Who was he and why had he given me that speech? More specifically, why did he tell me to treat his baby sister well? What was going on here?

/V\/V\/V\/V\

~Stella~

It was so silent in the room that I about jumped out of my skin when a knock came at the door.

"Who is it?" I brought myself to ask.

"Little sister, it is me," my brother, Ivan, called from the other side of the door.

"Oh, Ivan, come in."

My big brother, who towered over my five feet five at six feet two, entered the room with a garment bag in his hand.

"Baby sister, you're crying!" he said as he sat the bag down.

"Am not!" I said defiantly. "It's a nervous reaction!"

"It's okay," Ivan said as he wrapped me in a bear hug. "Brides are supposed to cry on their wedding day or so I hear."

"That's out of happiness," I wailed softly. "I'm scared, Ivan. I'm really scared!"

"I know baby, I know." He smoothed my dark blonde hair with strawberry tints. My long bangs had already been braided.

"You do not have to do this, Stella." Ivan told me. "I can take you home right now and we can watch movies or something instead of you subjecting yourself to this. Don't make yourself unhappy."

"I can't watch him suffer! It hurts me too much…"

"It hurts me too. But you've watched this go on for longer than I have. I can only admire your strength."

"That's why I have to do this. If their side comes through… I'll never regret this."

"You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do. Now I have to stop crying and get my makeup on." I squirmed my way from my brother's arms and made my way to the mirror that had been placed in the room. It was as I finished putting on my makeup that I noticed the bag that Ivan had brought in. Also I noticed that my brother was wearing a relatively nice suit and tie. Not a tux, but very classy.

"What's in the bag?" I asked.

"I thought that if this is your big day, it should at least be a little special no matter the circumstance. So I brought this. It was my grandmother's. You are closer to her size than my mother ever was. Before my grandmother died she told me that she wished very much that someone in the family could one day wear this as part of their wedding. It was left to me and now I'm giving it to you, my baby sister." Ivan unzipped the bag, revealing a beautiful white blouse. It was lacy, elegant, and timeless.

"Oh Ivan…" I was astounded. I knew it was hard for Ivan to talk about his late biological family. "It's beautiful; you shouldn't have."

"Nonsense. Here, try it on."

I put on the blouse and it fit perfectly. It silhouetted my slender frame showing my curves. I looked like one of those timeless actresses from an old black and white film. I pinned my hair up with the braids crowning my head. The back of the blouse was lined by silk pearl buttons.

"Could you get the buttons?" I asked Ivan.

"Of course."

As Ivan buttoned up the blouse he told me," I'm not sure what happened to the skirt. I think it may have been destroyed during a war."

"Shame," I said. "I'm sure it was as beautiful as the blouse." I said as I felt the lace along the cuffs of the long sleeves. Ivan chuckled as he finished buttoning the blouse. Then he sighed.

"Look at you. You look lovely. Any bride would be jealous if they saw you." I blushed, which made him laugh. "It is true, so don't try to deny it. This also is an antique, but not an heirloom. I guess it could be though, if you passed it down to your daughter or granddaughter one day. I was supposed to send this to you for your sixteenth birthday, but I got caught up in things. I found it in an antique shop in a suburb of Moscow."

I gasped as big brother tied a blue ribbon holding a silver oval pendant around my neck. It was embedded with small diamonds that sparkled in the light. "It's gorgeous! Thank you, it's unbelievable!"

"You're welcome. It suits you."

A knock came at my door. The knock was much louder than Ivan's had been.

"Ten minutes," A voice called.

I started to shake again and again Ivan held me in his arms.

"You can get out of this Stella," Ivan reminded me.

"I'm not going to do that; I can't."

"I know you won't. You're too sweet. But listen to me. If you don't like him or change your mind, we will get you out of this. I'll do whatever it takes to protect you my baby sister. I know it is unlikely you'll change your mind and it would be after they came through if you did, but you can get out of it."

"I know. If I do what to get out, you will be the first to know; especially if I need someone to force my bridegroom away. I'm just scared that he won't treat me good. That and a few other things…"

"You're thinking of the consummation part of the contract, aren't you? Before I came in here I had a little talk with your bridegroom. He seemed nice but if he was acting I think my message went through loud and clear. If he doesn't do good by you… Well, I have my ways."

"I know you do." I grinned at my big brother then sighed as something else hit me. "Mom and dad aren't here, are they?"

"No, just me."

"The moderators won't even let my own parents or the rest of my family come to the wedding." I said sadly. "I am happy you are here, though. You're the best big brother ever, Ivan!" I hugged him around the waist.

"You're the best, strongest, and bravest sister a guy could ever wish for," he told me as he hugged me back.

Another knock came at the door; this time saying that it was time.

"It's time," I said very quietly. "I'm supposed to have an escort. Would you escort me down the aisle, Ivan?"

"I would be honored. Hold on a second. You have something old, something new, and something blue." Ivan said, referring to the blouse, the pendant, and the ribbon that supported the pendant. "Now you just need something borrowed. Ah, I know! Take this," Ivan said as he unpinned the pin from the lapel of his jacket; the pin was a small Russian flag. It was the pin he wore when he went to world meetings. He pinned it to my blouse.

Ivan offered me his elbow and I took it as he helped me up the stairs. The doors to the sanctuary opened and we slowly started down the aisle to no music. My hand tightened around Ivan's arm as I saw the two black curtain boxes on the stage. I knew in the one to my left, my groom waited.

/V\/V\/V\/V\

~Carlisle~

When thirty minutes had passed, just as Solomon had promised, he returned. He had a worried look on his face although it seemed almost faked.

"Everything is ready but there has been a possibly serious complication arise," Solomon said.

"What's going on?" I asked warily. What has he been up to? Had investigators come after him again? I wasn't going to cover for him this time if they were.

"I set everything up but at the last minute one of the family members stopped the other doctors from setting their equipment up. They claimed that all this was a trick; that I only planned to provide a placebo."

"The other doctors are already here? Why wasn't I told?"

"I wanted you to stay up here to provide support for the patient's family as this is very stressful on them and honestly I've never met a doctor as good with patient support as you are. People just seem to trust you so well."

"You could've told me that from the start, Solomon." I said.

"I told you that you would be working closely with the patient's family. Anyway, they want to have one of the doctors take part in a traditional trust ceremony; for assurance that we are not trying to fool them. Since all the others are already prepped, I was thinking you could be the one to take part. It's a very simple ceremony."

"Alright, what do I need to do?" I finally said, going along with Solomon's urgings.

"Nothing much. Just stand there and follow along with what they tell you to do. It shouldn't last very long. They told me ten minutes, tops."

Solomon led me out of the office and into the sanctuary of the church. It was simple, plain wooden pews leading up to a small stage where two cloth cubicles were set up in the place that I assumed the pulpit usually was. Solomon told me to go into the one to the left and I did. I waited while the member of the patient's family came out so the ceremony could begin. I actually found this intriguing; how often did one get to witness, let alone take part in, a ceremony that had probably been around about as long as I have. Studying various cultures was a pastime of mine, so this was interesting to me.

I heard footsteps approach the stage. One set stepped onto the stage while the other sat down, I assume. The moderator of the ceremony asked me to place my hand through a slit in the curtain before me. I did so and a small, feminine hand was placed into mine. With our palms touching a satin ribbon began to be wound around our hands starting at my wrist going to hers. The ribbon started to sear my skin. That alone should have set me off. Nothing except fire caused my kind pain when touched to skin. It burned her hand too; I heard a hiss come from the other side of the curtain. The sound of people silently leaving the church filled my ears. There were only a few people there to begin with though.

After a few minutes and some chanting in a language I did not understand, the ribbon was removed. The girl yanked her hand from mine, most likely trying to nurse the pain. My own hand still stung and a strange feeling began to envelope my body. My usually pale skin was tinged pink from the ribbon. I was handed a small gold ring. It couldn't be for what I thought it was, was it? I was told to put both of my hands through the opening this time. This time, the girl's hand was missing and, from the sound of things, had to be forced back into the opening and held there. I held her left hand and felt another hand tightly holding her wrist. I didn't want to go through with this now. Every one of my instincts told me to run, but I couldn't. A force beyond my control had taken over me, as against my will, I slipped the ring onto her finger. Then her hand was gone and I heard her run from the stage and out the door. Just what had I done?

The force that had controlled me was gone almost as suddenly as it had come. I exited the box and saw Solomon sitting calmly in the front row pew with a smug grin on his face. It was infuriating.

"Just what happened here?" I demanded.

"Didn't you feel it, Carlisle? I know you did because you were a part of it. That was some pretty strong mojo, huh?" Solomon said nonchalantly.

"Mojo?" I asked, not in the mood for one of his games.

"Yeah, mojo; you know, magic. Man, too bad you didn't get to see your bride, Carlisle. She's a looker."

"Bride! What are you talking about?"

"You just got married! Sorry, I forgot to bring the rice to throw."

"I certainly did not just get married, Solomon. I never even signed a marriage agreement." I persisted, even though things were starting to make sense.

"Yes, you did. Here you go," Solomon said as he handed me the paper I had signed before coming here.

The paper was a certified marriage license. And I had signed my name to it. The man who gave me the speech in the office, about treating his little sister well, he must have known. He must have thought that I knew as well. His sister must have been the girl in the other booth; my new bride, apparently. Alice had foreseen something big happening and I suppose now this was it. The moral of this story: if someone wants you to sign something, read the paper first.

"Let's get you to your bride!" Solomon said as I continued to stare at the license. I looked at him, still furious that he had tricked me into this. "I think they've caught her by now."

"I will not," I said. "The gall you have for tricking me into something like this!"

"Oh Carlisle, get over it! I did you a favor. You were lonely after Esme left you and it was about time you got over her. Now you've got a new bride to do just that. Now come on, let's go. You don't want to disappoint her do you?"

"You disgust me, Solomon. I don't know what you've done to this girl and her family, but I'm sure it's sick and wrong. I'm going to meet this girl and hopefully work out this mess that you created. After today I never want to see you here or anywhere else."

"Fine, she's at her place now. The moderators will take you there."

I was taken to the girl's home where inside there were two guards stood in front of a bedroom door. I looked down the hall and saw the girl's brother sitting in a chair, polishing a metal water pipe with a red and white cloth. He hadn't been bluffing, it seemed; he glared at me as I was pushed into the bedroom. The room was dark but I could see just fine. I looked around and saw a young lady sitting on the bed blindfolded, her hands tied behind her back. I gasped at the sight, appalled at whoever did this to her and got her into this. When she realized I was in the room, she began to panic.


	8. Meet the Bride

**A/N: Hi guys, sorry it took so long for me to get this one up! But here is chapter nine. I hope you enjoy it! We have a little koling in here if you catch my drift. :3 Enjoy and Review!**

My Shining Sun

BlackLaceBeauty

Chapter Eight

Meet the Bride

~Carlisle's POV~

"Alright, let's get one thing straight," she said strictly. "If you think that I'm going to be one of those submissive wives, you've got another thing coming! Just so you know, I am strong, stubborn, and…"

I sat on the bed, wanting to simply untie her. I should've told her my plan first, as she didn't respond well to my sitting on her bed.

"Please, please don't hurt me!" she begged again and again.

"No, no, please don't panic. I won't hurt you, I promise. I'm just going to untie you, okay?"

She nodded and I placed one hand on her back between her shoulder blades. She shuddered at the coldness of my skin but leaned forward at my urging anyway. Untying her hands, I noticed that her left hand, still wearing the ring, was red and swollen where the ribbon had touched it. It looked almost like it had been burned. The girl kept her hands in her lap, allowing me to remove the blind fold.

Her human eyes were hindered by the darkness. Once the blindfold was off, she grabbed a remote which turned on the overhead light. It was then we made eye contact. It was then I knew our paths had crossed before. Her eyes, those amazing blue-green eyes, stared at me with shock, then recognition.

"It's you," she said quietly. "You're the doctor I bumped into Monday night. Oh, I'm Stella by the way."

Stella tentatively offered me her hand to shake. I shook it, but not before noticing what she wore. She wore a very thin, lace lined red silk nightgown that was low cut and come mid thigh. Stella looked ravishing.

"I'm Carlisle Cullen," I said, snapping back into the moment.

"It's nice to meet you, officially, Carlisle. I must thank you; it's very generous of you to do this. I mean you don't even know my family and you agreed to marry me, even thought I didn't know it would be you. But it's so kind of you to do this, help my grandpa, I mean."

"Wait, you knew about his before the fact?"

"Yes, didn't you?" A shocked expression crossed her face.

"No, I didn't. I wasn't told what I had done until after the fact and then they only told me that I'd been married. I wasn't told why."

"The deal was if I married you, all the care and medicine my grandpa needed would be provided, free."

"Well, Solomon hadn't been lying on two counts, then. He had said that I would be helping a client with cancer."

"That you are," she said. "What was the other thing?"

"That you are very beautiful."

Stella's face flushed red at my compliment. It was adorable.

"Uh, thank you…?" she said at a whisper. I guessed from how she was reacting that she isn't often complimented on her looks. Such a shame; Stella truly is a radiant little creature. Stella tried to break the awkward moment she found herself in by jumping off of the bed and taking two papers off of her dresser before handing them to me.

"These might better explain what's going on," She said. "All I really know about the deal comes from these two papers. "Why'd you do this in the first place?"

"I became a doctor so I could save lives and make patients, and their families, happy. When Solomon told me about his patient, your grandfather, I wanted to see this cure for cancer. I had no idea that this was what he had in store for me. I never even read the paper he had me sign, so I didn't realize it was a marriage license," I admitted bashfully.

"That's nice," Stella said. "I'm sorry that you got tricked into this though."

"Don't be sorry, Stella," I told her.

"But I am sorry! You were _tricked _into this; you could've had any woman you wanted. But you're stuck with me." Her eyes teamed with tears as she said this.

Why was she so appalled at herself?

"No, it's okay, don't berate yourself like this. This could work; we don't know yet because we've only just met. Anyway, what's wrong with being with you, Stelluna?" I said with a smile. "I've only heard good things about you."

"They got to you too, huh?" Stella said, chuckling at my use of her nickname. "Mary, Angie, and Joyce, they're great; they're like sisters to me. Oh, and Baylee too. Hmm… I don't know how she will react to this. She really had the hots for you!"

Stella then, for the first time, genuinely smiled at me.

"That would explain why she shoved a doughnut down my throat," I said making Stella laugh.

"Maybe this will work out," she wondered aloud.

"We can certainly try. How about we get to know each other better?"

"Sure, why not?" Stella said. Then, rather loudly, her stomach growled.

"I think I should probably get you something to eat first."

"How? The guards locked my door from the outside. We can't leave."

"I'll just go out through the window. Would you mind if I parked my car here when I come back? I actually live right up the road."

"The window? No, go right ahead; so you're the one who bought the cabin."

"Yes, that was me." I said as I got up and opened the window. "I'll be back in a little while."

Nimbly I jumped out of the window, landing quietly and perfectly on my feet.

Stella put her head out the window and asked, "What are you, some kind of ninja?"

Her smile was contagious. "Not quite." I smiled back.

I walked up the drive and then, once out of view, I sprinted back to my home. It was dark and no one was out, so no one would see me run faster than humanly possible. As mean as it sounds, I really didn't want to speak to the kids at the moment. I was almost positive that Alice had seen more of my adventure, and of course she would have a thousand on one questions. As I walked through the front door, as I had predicted, Alice was the first to attack me with questions.

"Carlisle! Where have you been? What have you been doing? And _why_ have I been seeing you with this really familiar looking human?"

"Alice, honey, I don't have time to answer all of your questions but I promise to answer them tomorrow when you all get home from school. That human," I began as I grabbed my car keys and medical bag; I was going to throw Alice for a loop. "is my new wife."

I heard a chorus of shocked statements, not all friendly to the ear. I didn't know what came over me, but it was extremely entertaining to be this mischievous. I got into my car and began to drive, twice the legal limit, into Shetoqua to find Stella something to eat. That was when I realized that I never asked her what she liked to eat. I'd just have to make a guess and hope that was right. I decided on a restaurant and placed an order. While I waited I thought about what Alice had said. Stella probably looked familiar because they both went to Rosewood High School. That didn't bother me as much as the "human" part did. But Alice was right, Stella was a human and I was not. How was I going to explain that? In every scenario of my telling her I imagined, it ended in the same way: her massive brother killing me. I was almost scared to make the drive back.

~~Stella~~

I couldn't help but smile as I watched Carlisle pounce out the window. He was so nice…and agile; I'd never seen someone land the perfectly or quietly on their feet before. Ever. I wondered if Carlisle had something special going on with him. Then I realized what I was doing. I've only known this guy for all but ten minutes and was I falling for him? I certainly had a hard time believing that. The only place that people fell in love at first sight was in fairy tales with mythical creatures. That just didn't happen in reality. One doesn't just randomly find their soul mate, right? That would be nice, though.

I thought about Carlisle and how kind he had been to me as I changed out of that annoying little red nightgown. I exchanged it for a pair of my favorite green pajama pants and a tank top. I kept my bra on, to keep from feeling awkward. Deciding that I wanted my makeup off, I walked to my door and knocked on it.

"What?" the guard called.

"Let me out, I need to go to the bathroom!" I yelled.

"We put a pail in there for you to use."  
>"Aw hell no! I will NOT go to the bathroom in my bedroom. Open the door, now!"<p>

"No, Mrs. Cullen."

'Mrs. Cullen?' I mouthed to myself. Oh yeah, Carlisle's last name is my last name now. "Let me out before I count to three or I'm going to call Ivan to break open the lock."

"You're threats are futile, Mrs. Cullen."

"One… Two…"

"Give up!"

"Three… IVAN!"

My brother was at the door in an instant.

"Sister, what is wrong?"

"The guards won't let me out to use the bathroom! Could you let me out please?"

"Sir, we cannot let you let her out." A guard told my brother.

"My little sister wishes to use the bathroom. I will give you two choices, da? One, let her out yourselves or two, I will let her out myself."

"We can allow neither," the other guard said.

"Wrong choice," Ivan said sweetly.

Soon after came the beautiful sounds of the guards screaming and begging for mercy. Then all was quiet and Ivan opened the door. The two guards were unconscious on the floor; also bloody and mangled.

"Thanks," I said to Ivan.

"No problem. Where is your new husband?"

"He left to get me something to eat."

"Hmm, point for him then. Listen, the door locks from outside. If you break to doorknob it can't lock. We'll fix it this weekend."

"Awesome, thanks." I head the NHL intermission report come on TV and I asked, "Who's playing?"

"Edmonton and Calgary."

"Aw! Have I missed any good fights?"

"Only four. Don't worry, I recorded it for you."

"Yay! I'm going to take my makeup off; I don't know when Carlisle will be back."

I didn't think that my mention of Carlisle went well with Ivan. He went back into the living room muttering something in Russian. I took off my makeup and freshened up. I saw a little box which had been place on the counter top and all but screamed. It was a box of condoms. Oh no. Carlisle was a nice guy. He wouldn't try that tonight, would he? I certainly hoped not. I certainly wasn't ready for that.

I went back into my room and broke the doorknob. I slid a busted half or the doorknob into the hole to make it look normal. Also, it would still open with only a half of the doorknob; it couldn't lock though. Then I fixed my bed like it had been two nights ago, with my pillow at the other end. I sat against the wall and turned on my lamp. I grabbed the novel I was reading off the stand next to my bed. I opened the pages to where my bookmark was but I couldn't bring myself to read. I kept thinking about that stupid box of…things. I really didn't want to do that tonight or any time soon really. I tried to read, I really did, but it just didn't work. After fifteen minutes, in a panic, I called Gabrielle.

"Stella? What's going on? And why haven't you talked to me at all today?"

"Gabby! Oh my God! What have I done? What's going to happen? What if…"

"What are you talking about?"

I saw headlights come down the drive and I knew Carlisle was back.

"Oh, he's back. I gotta go! Bye!"

On the other end I heard, "What the hell? Are you trying to piss me off? If so, you're doing a great job. You WILL tell me everything. Tomorrow."

I hung up after that, because I heard the car shut off and the door close. I tossed my cell phone onto my nightstand and quickly re-opened the window. I settled back down on my bed, and curled up with by book as I had been before. I don't know how, but somehow Carlisle silently jumped through the window and landed perfectly on the carpet. As he came and sat on the bed besides me, I felt oddly calm. Maybe it was the fantastic aroma coming from the take out box in Carlisle's hand. Or was I just happy to see him?

I looked into his golden eyes and I could see that he, despite his amazingly relaxed body language, was very nervous. It seemed like he wanted to tell me something, but he seemed almost afraid to do so.

"Carlisle? Are you okay? You look like you want to tell me something."


	9. Even More Surprises

My Shining Sun

BlackLaceBeauty

Chapter Nine

Even More Surprises

"Yes, there is something I want to tell you. However, I want to bandage you hand first; I brought my medical bag." I said, motioning to my medical bag.

"Okay," Stella allowed.

She let me take her hand into mine. Her hand was so small and delicate, the skin a creamy ivory color marred only by the streaks where the ribbon had touched. She flinched once, as I applied a burn salve to her skin. I think it was the coldness of the cream that caught her off guard. She watched intently as I wrapped the cloth bandage around her hand. Once I finished she flexed her fingers, getting used to the feel of the bandage.

"Doesn't your hand hurt too?" she asked.

"No, it doesn't hurt anymore. Here, you should eat while the food is still hot." I handed Stella the box. She opened the box and moaned in delight.

"How did you do this?" She asked.

"What?" I asked confusedly.

"How did you know that Honeybaker's is my favorite restaurant? You got my favorite dish from there too!"

"It was a lucky guess," I chuckled, mentally noting that she like, rather loved, the baked macaroni with bacon for Honeybaker's.

She didn't waste any time in devouring the bacon. 'Definitely not a vegetarian,' I thought to myself.

I didn't want to make her feel awkward while she ate, so I looked around her room, noticing all the little details. A small electronic piano keyboard was lettered with various compositions. Some of the compositions were original, I noticed; I would have to ask her about them later. On the wall above the foot of her bed there was a gingham check photo board. The board wasn't merely covered in photographs, but other interesting things as well. There were several tickets to musicals that her high school had put on, a few ribbons from academic competitions ranging from her late elementary years to high school. There were also two blue and white graduation tassels. One dated 2008 and the other 2012.

"How do you have your tassel already?" I asked.

"Oh, that's an extra one they gave me when I ordered my cap and gown. It's only been there a couple of weeks." Stella told me.

"Ah, I see."

For a few moments longer I gazed around her room, spotting various photographs in frames which were each unique. I guessed that the pictures were mostly of Stella and whom I presumed to be her best friend. In one of the candid snapshots I recognized the location; it was Honeybaker's, and of course Stella had the heaping bowl of macaroni in from of her.

Stella noticed which picture I was looking at and said,

"I told you I liked Honeybaker's."

"Who's with you here?" I asked after chuckling at her response.

"That's Gabrielle; she's my crazy-yet-lovable best friend. Wasn't there something you wanted to tell me?"

I sat back down on the bed and faced her. Stella must have been hungry; she had cleaned out the box within twelve minutes. Every scenario that I had imagined earlier came flooding back to my mind.

"This is rather important," I began slowly; bracing for her reaction. "I feel that you should know that I am a vampire."

I flinched back, waiting for her to scream, for her brother to burst into the room to kill me slowly and painfully. I waited several moments and when I didn't hear her scream I looked at her she didn't look scared at all.

"Really?" She asked, her voice sounded almost intrigued; not appalled.

"Yes," I said and sighed a sigh of relief. Stella wasn't terrified of me at all.

"That explains quite a bit," Stella said. It certainly explains why you can jump out my window and land silently on your feet."

"That and the coldness of my skin along with my eye color."

"I wondered about that. So, are you older than you look? I mean you look about, what twenty three? I could be wrong though."

"You are very perceptive," I told Stella. "I was changed at twenty three. That was in the 1640's."

"Whoa. That's around Cromwell's rule. That puts you at about three hundred and sixty two, right? That's awesome!"

Stella's historical knowledge and mathematical skills were impeccable. She tallied my age and figured out which Rule I was from faster than any other human teenager could. I could only look at her in astonishment. She stayed quiet for a moment before shyly speaking again.

"Sorry," Stella said almost ashamedly. "I know I'm a nerd."

"No! Don't be sorry. I'm just amazed at how fast you put everything together. You should never be ashamed of your intelligence; that's the strongest weapon you could ever possess." I said, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. Stella found it soothing, to my relief.

As I tried to get to know Stella more, I realized how shy she was of me. She tried to hide that fact, but I could easily tell she was shy of me, and if it wasn't my being a vampire that made her so shy, I didn't have a clue as to why she was so shy of me.

"Stella, why aren't you, well, absolutely terrified of me?" I asked.

"Well, believe it or not, you're not the first vampire I've ever met. However, you're the first of your species that I've met with golden eyes. Why is that?"

"I don't drink the blood of humans; I feed on the blood of animals."

"Really? How do you manage that?"

"Now it is just part of my life. It used to be very difficult though."

"I can only imagine…" Stella trailed off.

"What did you mean by "my species"?"

"Well, there are different types of vampires. There is the kind that turn to ash in daylight, those who can live just fine in sunlight, among others. Do you know who the Volturi are?"

"How to you know the Volturi!" I asked in shock. "Yes, I know them; I spent a few decades with them long ago."

"Okay, so that tells me what type of vampire you are. I've met them before; they don't mess with me and I don't mess with them. Why is it that you don't go into sunlight? Does it hurt you?"

"No, sunlight doesn't hurt me, but in my world, something very unique happens."

"Really? What happens?"

"I'll have to show you sometime."

"Hm… Okay," Stella said.

She asked me a few other questions, about what it was like to be a vampire, what my diet consisted of, and so on. Stella listened intently to every word I spoke, trying to comprehend everything.

After her last question was answered, Stella let out a soft yawn.

"If you'll excuse me for a moment, I need a few human minutes," Stella said as she went to the door.

"Isn't the door still locked?" I asked.

"Nope. I fixed that while you were gone," Stella explained as she pulled out the doorknob.

"You broke it?" I asked, struggling not to laugh. It seemed almost impossible to envision Stella being violent or destructive at all.

"Sure did," Stella chuckled as she opened the door. She stepped outside and muttered, "Aw, how sweet, they're still unconscious. Why couldn't have Ivan thrown them outside?"

The guards were unconscious? That definitely rekindled my fear of Stella's brother. I heard the bathroom door across the hall shut and I heard a faint snore coming from the living room. After a few minutes Stella came back from the bathroom. She sat back down on the bed next to me. Her bed wasn't very wide, barely wide enough for the two of us. We sat against the pillows she had propped up against the wall. Out arms rested against each other.

"Alright, it's my turn to ask the questions." I said to Stella.

"Okay," Stella said. It sounded as if she had just spontaneously developed a lisp in her voice. "I'm probably not very interesting though."

"I doubt that. Does your throat hurt?" I asked. I couldn't figure out why Stella had this lisp all of a sudden.

"No, sorry, I should've told you that I put my retainers in." Stella said.

She smiled, which showed me the wire now running across her bottom teeth and the Invisalign piece on her upper teeth.

"You had braces? I would never have guess that you had braces. I figured you would have been on that had perfectly straight teeth from the start."

"That would've been nice, but no. It was so obvious that I needed braces. I used to never smile in pictures because of it."

"I don't believe that your teeth could've been that bad."

"Oh yes they were; I used to be able to fit a toothpick between my front teeth!"

"No way."

"I'm serious!" Stella laughed.

I continued on with questions about Stella's adventures, well, misadventures are a better term, with braces. Then I moved to more basic questions. From those I learned that her favorite color is a pale yellow; like a baby daffodil, Stella had described it. She loves art and is a second year photography student. Her birthday is April 16th; she had an intense love of ice hockey and Stella played badminton regularly.

She told all this to me very quietly. I didn't think that she meant to be so reluctant to tell me these things. I think she was because Stella wasn't used to so much constant attention. Plus, she'd only known me for a few hours, so that could contribute to the problem. I carefully chose my next question. However, before I could ask my question, I felt a light weight on my shoulder. It was Stella's head.

In the lull between questions Stella had dozed off, no doubt exhausted from the day's activities. Slowly lifting her off of the pillows, I put them in their rightful place at the other end of the bed. Then, I cradled her in one arm as I pulled back the covers and slipped her beneath them. There was a faux leather gaming chair next to the bed, so I pulled it up to the side of the bed and watched Stella sleep. She slept quite peacefully; only moving to turn onto her side so to be more comfortable. Only a handful of time did she stir, saying one word each time.

"папа"

I didn't have a clue what it meant. The last occurrence was shortly before two in the morning. Once Stella had calmed down, I checked my phone for any messages. Of course, there was a plethora of messages.

There were a total of nine calls, two voice mail messages, and seventeen text messages. They all boiled down to the same thing: what had happened? I sent one, group message to all five of my children, explaining in brief what had happened, promising to go into more detail tomorrow. After that everything was silent. Silent until a noise began to come from the corner of the room.


	10. All My Children

**A/N: Hello, everyone. Firstly, I'd like to apologize for my absence from this story. I feel an explanation is in order. I started this story several months ago, back in early December I do believe. At the time, much like the heroine, Stella, my grandfather was battling cancer and was in ICU for a time. It was a horrible thing to watch as the cancer spread, destroying everything. At that time Breaking Dawn Part 1 was still fresh in my mind. Thus this story was born. I realize now that at the time it was a way for me to cope with what was happening. Writing a story where Stella was doing what she could to save her grandfather from cancer helped me to keep the small fire of hope for a miracle burning within me. And the story progressed to eight chapters. On March 19****th**** my grandfather lost his battle with cancer. Needless to say I was a grandpa's girl. It was an awful, crushing time for me. If I didn't have such supporting friends, I don't know what would've happened. I posted chapter nine on the 31****st**** of March without an explanation or note. I'm sorry for that. I just wanted to post something to prove I wasn't giving up on this story. I am trying to get back into the swing of things with this story. I do not doubt that some future parts will be a tad hard for me to write. I considered for a time completely changing the outcome of this story but now have opted against that. I very much hope you will bear with me and will continue to read and enjoy my work. A huge thank you goes to all of my readers and supporters. You all mean a lot to me. I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Thank you so much for your understanding. ~BLB**

My Shining Sun

BlackLaceBeauty

Chapter Ten

All My Children

~Stella~

The annoying sound of my alarm clock rang in my ears. My natural response was to ignore the sound. Sadly, the sound only increased in irritability until I couldn't take it anymore.

"Shut up Finland!" I moaned.

"Finland?" Carlisle questioned.

"Finland…" I said as everything began to sink in.

It was Friday, which meant I had school.

"I'm gonna be late!" I gasped as I sprung from my bed.

I snagged a pair of panties from my dresser and sprinted to the bathroom. As quick as I could, I turned the water on to heat up while I brushed my teeth and pinned up my hair from getting soaked. I scrubbed down with my favorite scent, lavender, and was out and dry within ten minutes. A new personal record. The bathroom clock read seven ten, leaving me with ten minutes to get out the door. I quickly had my underclothes on and draped a bathrobe over my shoulders as I sprinted back across to my room and flung open my closet.

I grabbed the first pair of jeans I saw, a medium blue pair of skinny jeans. Then I pulled a dark grey cowl necked, ribbed blouse. Carlisle still sat in the old game chair but I paid him little mind. I felt bad that I had fallen asleep on him, but now wasn't the time to talk; I was on a tight schedule. I let my robe drop to the floor in my haste. Oddly, it didn't bother me to have Carlisle in my room; he was going to see me naked eventually. Besides, I was already partly clothed. I struggled into my jeans and then into my shirt. My makeup today would be very simple: foundation and mascara only.

Now onto jewelry. I slipped my class ring onto my right ring finger. Since, my, uh, wedding band (There was no getting around that word now) was still on, I left any other jewelry off of my left hand, except for the charm bracelet I'd warn for the past several years. My time was ticking down so I pulled my hair into a stylishly messy bun before tying on the diamond necklace Ivan had given me. At the last moment I remembered I needed to wear shoes. So, I took my favorite pair of red and purple argyle no-show socks and slipped them on. I kept a box of granola bars next to my socks, so I took two to eat on my way to school. My no-show socks actually were quite visible with today's pair of shoes but that was okay. They were really cute with my most comfortable flats, grey moccasins with the faux fur lining. Now I was ready to hightail it out the door.

Flinging my backpack over my shoulder, I scooped up my purse and said a hurried goodbye to Carlisle. However, as I walked out the door, Carlisle stopped me.

"Stella, wait."

"Huh?"

"This will only take a second; I know you're in a hurry."

Then, Carlisle gently kissed me on the lips. I flushed redder than a strawberry which amused Carlisle greatly.

"I figure since we're married now, we should get off to a good start."

"Yes, that sounds nice," I stuttered.

"Wonderful! Well, have a good day; I'll see you this evening."

"Alright, have a nice day," I said as I made it to my truck and out of my driveway. On my way out I noticed a sleek Mercedes. It made sense; Carlisle was a doctor after all. I made it to school, hoping for a rather quiet day without any extra work.

When I got to school, though, I had a tack waiting for me. The new kids had requested a tour of the school and I was to lucky person who was given the task. Everything had been cleared with my first four teachers. I wouldn't have classes until lunch, a huge bonus. I put up my books and went to the office where Rosewood's four new students were waiting on me. The school secretary, Jill, introduced us.

"Hey Stella!" Jill greeted me. "These are our new students. Alice Cullen, Emmett Cullen, and Rosalie and Jasper Hale."

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you all," I said. I was desperately trying to ignore Alice and Emmett's last name.

Alice was a little bit, I don't know how to say this, odd. She took both of my hands in hers and said,

"I just know we're going to be great friends."

"Uh, great," I said, kind of freaked out. "Why don't we get started?"

So, we took a tour of the whole school. The music room, auditorium, and art rooms were among our first stops. Then came the home-ec department, followed by the history and business departments. I showed them the outdoor amphitheater and football field, which was in the center of the track. The track had just been repainted blue, so it still had a funky smell to it. So funky that Rosalie's nose crinkled in disgust; not that I could blame her.

Back inside we went up to the math hallway. The four of them whispered amongst themselves whole I rambled about each math teacher and their specific curriculum. Alice zoned out for a moment, who knows why, and when she came back to, a huge grin overtook her face.

Jasper whispered something in her ear.

"Yes, I'm positive now that it is her. Everything matches what I'm seeing." Alice said.

"Wait, what?" Emmet said.

Alice clarified what she was talking about by whispering into Emmett's ear. Whatever she said really surprised him.

"Holy Hell!" Emmett boomed.

I spun around, staring at him in shock.

"Sorry," He mumbled with a half hearted smile.

For the rest of the tour I felt four sets of eyes burn into my back. Why were they staring at me? Was the tag to my blouse showing? No. I knew exactly why they were so observant of me. I had married their father. Thankfully the tour soon came to its end.

"And that's the grand tour of Rosewood High." I concluded as we stood at the cafeteria doors. It was almost lunch time.

I asked if they had any questions but they shook their heads no. The lunch bell rang, and as students ran from their classes to get to lunch, Emmett picked me up in a bear hug.

"I know you'll be a great mommy to us," Emmett half whispered to me. The others laughed before they too left for lunch. If my stress was high before, it was through the roof now. I had to calm down. Luckily, I was to have lunch in the photography room with my friend and fellow photographer, Jennifer.

The photo room was our sanctuary, the best class of the day. Our photo teacher doubled as our English teacher, so we had him two hours straight in the afternoon. It was awesome. I got my standard lunch from the cafeteria, chicken sandwich and a bag of chips, and went upstairs to eat with Jennifer.

"I didn't see you in the hall this morning." Jennifer commented as I sat my stuff down.

"Yeah, I spent my whole morning giving the new kids the grand tour." I explained as I went to get my mug from the back office.

Jennifer and I had a shelf where we could safely keep our photography equipment. Since no one else got to use that shelf in the back office of the photo room, we stashed other stuff there too, like our travel mugs. Usually we get them out the hour before lunch to fill them up with the bottles of soda in the fridge where the film was kept. We washed them out every day then took them home on Fridays.

I filled my blue mug, a freebie from a local bank, with my favorite orange soda. Then I sat down and talked with Jen about our days, what movies were coming out on Thanksgiving next week, new books; the same old. At the end of the hour I realized that I didn't have my English binder, which was my next class. I ran downstairs to get it and spent the last two minutes of lunch with Gabby and a couple of friends.

"How was lunch?" Gabby asked.

I answered, "Fine."

"What is _that_?" She asked, spotting the ring on my left hand.

Oh no, there's no way I could go through the whole story in two minutes.

"Well, I met a guy…" I started before, right at the right moment, the bell rang. "Oh, I have to go, see you next week!"

"You _will_ tell me, Stella!" Gabby called as I scurried through the sea of students.

By the end of the day I was in a pretty good mood despite the stress of the morning. I was feeling down right artsy by the time the final bell rang. I had a new paining mapped out in my head and I had some free time after school, so I knew what I wanted to do. I was going to go to the local non-chain pizzeria and get a medium cheese to go. I'm a regular there so they knew what I wanted when I walked in. I added a super meat pizza for Ivan to my order because who knew what Aunt June would be cooking. As I waited for my order to be ready, I toyed with my wedding band. That was when I noticed that beneath my wedding band there was a band of green. The cheap little piece of crap had turned my finger green! Just great.

I paid for the pizzas then drove home. At home I first put the pizzas onto the coffee table in my art studio then ran across the hall to my room. Kicking my shoes into my closet, I put on and old green v-neck t-shirt. That sweater was too nice to get paint on. Then I switched my necklace for a plain silver chain that I put my wedding band on. My finger was still such an odd color of green where that ring had been. I took my hair from its bun, letting it fall down my back in a gentle wave, held back by a brown head band. From the little fridge I kept film in my studio, I took out a bottle of flavored water, setting it next to the pizza boxes.

Setting up my easel with a fresh canvas didn't take long, so before I knew it I was happily chewing through a beautiful, delicious piece of cheese pizza.

~Carlisle~ 

My shift was drawing to a close for the day. As I returned to my office to gather my things, I found that the children couldn't wait until I get home to explain my situation. All five were gathered in my office.

"You all knew that I would be home in less than an hour. Why couldn't you all have waited?" I asked.

"Because! We want to know everything!" Alice squealed.

I told them about the deal I had made with Solomon leading to my marriage and first night with Stella. After what seemed like an hour they finally let up on questioning, only after they talked me into taking Stella over to see the house. We all left simultaneously, only I wouldn't be going home with the rest of them. I was going to Stella's.

This morning, Ivan had reluctantly given me a key to the house. I walked in now, finding Stella's mother and brother in the kitchen. Ivan looked up at me from the beef he had been mincing and gave me a sweet smile as he waved the bloody knife in greeting. Her mother, a nice looking woman, greeted me warmly.

"Hi, Carlisle," she greeted me. "Oh, that's right, we've not met. I'm June Rhodes, Stella and Ivan's aunt."

Oh, I was wrong, Stella lived with her aunt.

"Stella's in her studio, just down the hall. If you need anything, don't be a stranger."

"Alright, thank you."

I went into Stella's studio and found her standing behind a canvas, deeply concentrating on whatever she was painting. It only took her a few seconds to notice me.

"Oh, hey, Carlisle. Come on in." Stella said.

I walked up to the canvass and could smell the light aroma of the paints she was using.

"Are you ready to be interrogated again?" I teased. I knew I still had to tell her about the kids.

"Stella chuckled and rolled her eyes at me before saying, "Sure, but I have a question for you first."

"What is it?"

"When were you going to tell me about your kids?"


End file.
